Ryan Reynolds given two-word verdict on sacking Wrexham boss after big defeat
Ryan Reynolds has been handed a clear two-word verdict on sacking Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson after a humiliating defeat.
The Red Dragons suffered the heaviest loss of Parkinson’s reign at the hands of West Ham last Friday, crashing to a 6-0 thrashing that leaves them languishing 19th in the Championship after seven games.
With just a single victory under their belts this term – a 3-0 win over Millwall – questions have naturally surfaced over whether the 58-year-old has taken the North Wales outfit as far as he can. However, former Sunderland striker and EFL pundit Kevin Phillips has insisted Reynolds and co-owner Rob Mac must “back Phil” through the storm.
EFL pundit Kevin Phillips insists Wrexham must back Parkinson through the storm
Speaking to the Daily Star via BestBettingSites.co.uk, Phillips dismissed suggestions that Parkinson should face the axe.
“There was always going to come a spell in his career at Wrexham where things weren’t particularly going to go well, and people will raise questions,” he said.
“But I would never say [he should go], because in the Championship you can go on a run of winning two, three, four games and all of a sudden you jump up the league and you’re in the playoff spot. So they’re more than capable of doing that.”
Wrexham were taught a brutal lesson during their drubbin by West Ham(Image: West Ham United FC via Getty Images)
He added: “Obviously it’s been a tough start for him. Phil’s very robust; he’s an experienced manager, he won’t even think about it, he’ll just get on with his job. It’s going to be a tough game against Saints this weekend, but I have to back Phil to get them out of this trouble.”
Parkinson is no stranger to pressure at the Racecourse Ground, having navigated a sluggish start during their return to the second tier last term.
Wrexham picked up just five wins from their opening 15 league matches in 2025/26, a slow burn that ultimately cost them as they missed out on the play-offs by just two points.
Parkinson is no stranger to pressure at the Racecourse Ground after a slow start last season(Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Following a summer spending spree exceeding £30million, expectations are high for Wrexham to push for Premier League promotion. But the 6-0 hammering at West Ham served as a reality check.
“That was an eye-opener,” Phillips said. “That’s a lesson that if you don’t quite turn up against these players, they’ll turn you over. And that’s what happened.
“It’s a benchmark to learn from, and it’ll be interesting now to see how they get on this weekend against another top team. You have to learn from it and try and take that into the next game for sure.”
Wrexham face a tough test against Southampton after losing twice to the Saints last term(Image: Matt Watson/Southampton FC via Getty)
Should Wrexham’s Hollywood owners pull the trigger in the future, Phillips believes they must target a manager with a proven track record in the division.
“We’ve seen a casualty this week already in the Championship,” Phillips said. “Given the ambition the owners have shown, I think they’d go out and look at someone that has got the experience of getting promoted out of the Championship, what it takes when things are up against you a little bit.
“Or they might go down the route of a potential manager we’ve never heard of – we’ve seen Sunderland do it and look where they are. But I would probably suggest they’d have to go with someone a bit more experienced in the Championship and getting promoted to the Premier League.”
Wrexham will host Southampton this weekend before the international break, aiming for their first home win of the campaign and hoping to avoid a repeat of last season’s painful 5-1 defeat to Saints at the Racecourse.
